The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-08-19
THE CnATswoRTH VERDICT.


Blame Fixed Upon u Poor Trnckmnn, Will.
4t the Careless Managers Get or. -
CHICAGO, August ls-A special from
Chatsworth, ILL.,, says: The Coroner's Jury
sgreed on a verdict this morning, which
holda Timothy Coughlin, foreman Of sec.
ton seven, 70 the grand Jury, and mega.
lively exhouorates the company. The
management is not censured for running
oubls;headers, for lax System OF track
inspection, or anything else. The verdict
|simply says that the failure to patrol tbs
track tor. some houra before the train
came, and the habit Of burning grass close
to the track is 6 subject for criticism. The
three or four friends of the road, on the
jury, had better staying qualities than
ETo or three OF those who wanted to fir
a portion OF the blame on the manage.
nent. - ~. 554-+,at.'l -
Timothy Coughlin, the section foreman,
was promptly arrested and will be taken
to Pontiac, the county seat Of Livingstone
county, at once. He says he cannot give
bail and will have to 90 to Jail. He insists
that the verdict is unjust; tina. be went
over his entire section as ordered, and
that no fires were built as near the brides
as eomo witnessed testified. The Jury
made out separate verdicls for zach OF shs
victims. Mrs. DR.. buckets ia the frat
name on the. list. The following is The
verdict Of the jury on her death: s.
THE VERDICT. -
State Of Illinois, Livingstone County: .55
In the matter Of the INQUEST Of the bodv
of Mrs. Duckett, Of Forest, Ills, deceased
held at Chstsworth on the 18th day Of
August A. D. 1887, we, the undersigned
jurors, sworn to inquire into cause OF the
death OF, Mrs. Dr.. Duckett, late OF Forest.
ILL.,, do find that she came to her death by
injuries received in the wrecking OF the
Niagara Falls excursion train on the
Toledo, Peoria q Western Railway, on
which she was d passenger, at bridge
two and one-half miles east OF ChatsWorth
about twelve o'clock midnight, .Wednes.
day, August 10, 1887. b ). 4 ~
We lind that the wrecking OF the said
train which totally demolished eight
coaches, baggage car, one engine, and
either killed or wounded most Of the or
cupants Of aaid coaches, was caused by
oalu OtAuRo having Ueeu burned out b.
fore the train struck. We think from the
evidence that the bridge was fred rom
fires lett burning which had been set as
late as o'clock that afternoon by section
men as close as sixteen feet on both
tho east and west sides of
the bridge. We further find that the fore.
man OF section 7, Timothy Coughlin, dis.
obeyed positive orders from his superior
to examine the track and bridges on hie
section the last thing on Wedneadny, and
we find that he did not 20 over the west
one and a half miles at all on Wednesday.
and that the said foreman Coughlin was
guilty OF groes and criminal careleesness
In leaving 6res burning along the track.
in such q dry season, and with such a
strong wind blowing. p ssFF7s4Iy57'
We recommend that he be- held for
examination by the grand jury, and fur.
Their, 1t 10 the opinion OF the jury that the
leaving Of the track without being pa.
trolled for ak hours before the passage Of
the excursion, and tho setting fire by this
section men on such dry and windy
day as the 10Th of August, 1887, were acis
which deserve severe criticiem, st.t5 &